Arushi Bidhuri
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Written By: Arushi Bidhuri | Updated : June 26, 2021 3:02 PM IST
The world has been battling against the Covid-19 pandemic for more than one year now. Since the beginning of the pandemic, scientists have been desperately trying a cure for the deadly disease. Despite many trials, only a few drugs and vaccines have been approved that may not cure the disease but reduce its risk. Scientists have also been trying to figure out if existing drugs can help treat Covid-19. So far, they have tested several drugs, including rheumatoid arthritis medications called Actemra. The US Food and Medication Administration (FDA) has given the drug Actemra an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the treatment of hospitalised patients with Covid-19.
The immune system might become overactive in the case of Covid-19 infection, which can lead to disease deterioration. But Actemera does not directly target SARS-COV-2 but reduces the risk of worse outcomes. However, the FDA decided that it is reasonable to believe that Actemra may be effective in treating Covid-19 for the approved population after reviewing the entirety of the scientific data available. But it is only allowed for some people and not everyone who has contracted coronavirus.
Only hospitalised adults and paediatric patients (2 years of age and older) taking systemic corticosteroids and requiring supplementary oxygen, non-invasive or invasive mechanical ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation are eligible for the medication under the EUA (ECMO). However, FDA said in a statement that Acterma is not authorised for use in outpatients with Covid-19.
In addition to standard treatment, which included corticosteroid medication, clinical trials indicated that giving Actemra to hospitalised Covid-19 patients lowered the risk of mortality and the length of time they stayed in the hospital. Chances of patients being put on ventilators or dying were also reduced.
"Although vaccines have been successful in decreasing the number of patients with Covid-19 who require hospitalisation, providing additional therapies for those who do become hospitalised is an important step in combating this pandemic," said Patrizia Cavazzoni, MD, Director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
The evidence for this Actemra EUA comes from four clinical studies. The FDA's understanding of Actemra for the treatment of Covid-19 is aided by all four clinical studies. While the drug has been approved to use in the treatment of Covid-19, there are certain side effects that some people might experience.
Constipation, anxiety, diarrhoea, sleeplessness, hypertension, and nausea were all reported as common Actemra adverse effects in the Covid-19 studies. According to the FDA, the EUA was given to Genentech, a subsidiary of Swiss multinational healthcare Roche.
Actemra is an immunosuppressive drug that doctors use in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and active systematic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA) in patients two years and older. It is a monoclonal antibody that decreases inflammation and is used to treat a variety of inflammatory disorders. It is administered by intravenous infusion.
(with inputs from IANS)
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